FOCUS: BRAND STRATEGY MISFIRES | AUDIENCE: STEWARDS OF PLATEAUED BRANDS
BY: SHOBHA PONNAPPA | BRAND BREAKTHROUGH STRATEGIST | 45 YEARS | 125+ CLIENTS
I helped a men’s shaving cream brand break free from quarterly data obsession and recover its promise of care.
The brand had been relying on quarterly strategy reviews for more than a decade, believing that this ritual alone would spark fresh market momentum. Each quarter, the marketing team pored over sales charts, ROI dashboards, and channel-by-channel spend reports with great precision. Despite these detailed reviews, the shaving cream’s growth line remained flat and retailers reduced shelf space. The leadership assumed that deeper analysis of numbers would finally uncover a breakthrough.
Yet the real issue was invisible: the brand had lost touch with human truths that fuel loyalty and cultural relevance. Competitors were forging emotional connections through modern masculinity and self-expression, while this brand stayed anchored in old ideas of grooming as mechanical routine. The quarterly reviews only reinforced these dated assumptions by rewarding what could be counted, not what could be felt. As a result, the business slowly lost traction with a new generation of shavers.
I discovered that the quarterly review ritual was an impressive exercise in data discipline but failed to translate numbers into meaning. The brand had abundant awareness of market share dips and campaign ROI, yet no clear understanding of the cultural signals reshaping men’s grooming. There were no insights into confidence, self-care, or identity … topics resonating strongly with the brand’s younger prospects. Without these insights, the strategy stayed anchored in past success formulas.
Equally important, brand vitality metrics such as social storytelling and emotional engagement were absent from the conversation. Every review centred on budget shifts between TV, retail promotions, and digital ads, but never asked if the story still mattered to consumers. The lack of human-centred data meant the brand could not spot its own narrative fatigue. This insight became the pivot point for creating a breakthrough idea.
My game-changing idea was to turn quarterly reviews into cultural listening sessions rather than data autopsies. Instead of more spreadsheets, I introduced a process to map how modern men see shaving as part of self-respect and identity. We focused on understanding the ritual as a personal moment that blends tradition with self-expression. This shift reframed shaving from a dry chore into an act of everyday empowerment.
Another vital breakthrough was creating a living brand narrative anchored in contemporary masculinity. The new story celebrated confidence without macho posturing, highlighting care, craft, and individuality. It allowed the shaving cream to speak to both long-time loyalists and younger men who value authenticity. This single narrative turned disconnected marketing efforts into a unified, culturally relevant movement.
I replaced quarterly review decks with brand vitality dashboards that combined hard sales data with cultural and emotional metrics. Social conversation mapping, content resonance tracking, and sentiment analysis were added to the usual ROI sheets. This new dashboard showed how the brand was truly perceived, not just how it performed. Suddenly, reviews became about shaping the future, not dissecting the past.
I also coached leadership to test bold narrative ideas in-market between reviews rather than wait for the next quarter. Short, agile campaigns explored emerging masculine identities and tested responses quickly. This fast feedback loop ensured that cultural relevance wasn’t delayed by rigid review cycles. Over time, the company became proactive rather than reactive in its brand storytelling.
Here are 10 strategic ideas developed (and several executed) to support the new brand direction:
Confidence Story Videos: Short-form clips showing real men sharing why shaving is tied to confidence and self-care.
Modern Masculinity Blog Series: Articles exploring evolving male identity, featuring interviews with barbers, influencers, and style experts.
User-Generated Ritual Posts: Social prompts inviting men to share personal shaving rituals with branded hashtags.
Instagram Reels on Care Craft: Behind-the-scenes videos on ingredient sourcing and craftsmanship to humanise the brand.
Podcast Sponsorships: Partnering with shows about self-growth and style to reach new audiences in authentic contexts.
Interactive Grooming Guides: Web-based tools that help men pick shaving routines that fit their personality and lifestyle.
Virtual Grooming Lounge: Live Q&A sessions with grooming experts and celebrity stylists streamed on social channels.
Purpose-Driven CSR Campaign: Initiatives supporting male mental health and self-confidence, linked with shaving rituals.
Data-to-Meaning Infographics: Visual explainers turning market stats into stories of real men’s changing grooming behaviours.
TikTok Ritual Challenges: Trend-led challenges encouraging creative takes on personal grooming and identity expression.
Shelf space in key retail chains grew by 18% due to improved consumer buzz and modern positioning.
Social engagement rates increased by 65%, driven by user-generated ritual content and narrative-led campaigns.
Brand awareness among men under 35 climbed from 42% to 59% with clear cultural relevance.
Online sales through direct-to-consumer channels rose 24% following the new strategy’s launch.
CONFIDENTIALITY CAVEAT: This case study represents a confidential engagement. For privacy, specific brand identifiers, campaign names, and project phases have been withheld. It has been shared with permission while preserving client discretion.
If you’re an investor seeking momentum for your portfolio brands, this Case Study Post I wrote could interest you: “When a Skincare Alchemist Created Beauty But Not a Business.“
And if you’re a solo expert looking to sharpen traction, this Case Study Post I worked on may resonate: “When a Nano-Tech Expert’s Message Needed Macro Clarity.“
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